Gambling trial suspended after death of defendant

Monday

Jan 30, 2012 at 10:21 AM

A federal judge temporarily suspended jury selection Monday in Alabama's gambling corruption trial. Jury selection was supposed to begin Monday morning at the federal courthouse in Montgomery, but one of the seven defendants, former legislative employee Ray Crosby, died Sunday.

Federal investigators accused Crosby of taking $3,000 a month from McGregor while writing gambling legislation for the Legislature. After the federal investigation began, Crosby amended the annual financial disclosure forms he had to file as a state employee to show the payments.

The first trial ended in August with the jury acquitting two defendants, but unable to agree on some charges against the remaining seven.

The judge and defense attorneys were to be the same for the retrial, but the federal government has a new lead prosecutor.

Some of the defense attorneys had estimated that jury selection could last several days.